Rotary agitator for flour-sifters and the like.



O. S. RYERSON & W. T. RUSSELL. ROTARY AGITATOR FOR FLOUR SIFTERS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED-MAR. 61 1918.

1,281945, Patentecl Oct. 15, 1918.

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EINTTED STATES PATENT @FFTQE- OSCAR S. RYERSON, OF WORCESTER, AND WILLIAM T. CRUSSELL, OF WELLESLEY,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO HAMBLI'N & RUSSELL MANUFACTURING COM- IEANY, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY AGITATOR FOR FLOUR-SIFTERS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed March 16, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it'known that we, OSCAR S. RYnRsoN and WILLIAM T. RUSSELL, said RYERSON a subject of the King of England, said Rus- SELL a citizen of the United States, said RYERSON residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester,State of Massachusetts, said RUSSELL residing at Wellesley, county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Rotary Agitator for Flour-Sifters and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an agitator for a flour sifter of a well known type in which the sifter itself involves a preferably cylindrical container having a handle and a stationary sieve preferably in the form of a hemispherical bottom for the container, and in which the agitator is mounted on a shaft substantially concentric with the hemisphere, and involves arms each of semi-circular construction so as to move along the inner surface of the sieve to force flour or the like through the same and agitate it.

The principal objects of this invention are to improve the agitator itself and the supporting shaft in such a manner that the shaft will not have to'be permanently attached to the container or agitator but can be drawn out longitudinally so as to separate it from both;,to provide a construction in which the shaft will be held in position on the agitator and consequently by that will be held in the container by an exceedingly simple arrangement and canbe disconnected by a strong pull on the shaft as stated above; to provide a construction of shaft which facilitates its insertion in the agitator in such a manner that while the shaft is not positively connected with the agitator it does positively rotate with it; and to provide a construction of agitator arms of increased simplicity in which the arms are transversely convex, but are provided with flat spots at the ends of the agitator where the shaft passes through, and means of the most simple character is provided for locating the ends of the arms with respect to each other so that they can be securedconveniently, and also other details of construction as will appear hereinafter.

- Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- I j Figural is c ral. e tie iv w a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Serial No. 222,810.

well known type of flour sifter showing a preferred embodiment of agitator and shaft located therein;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the agitator;

Fig. 3 is an opposite end view;

Fig. 4: is a sectional view on the line 41 of Fig. 2';

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the split end of the shaft showing the agitator in section where it is connected thereto.

In the form shown the container 10 has a hemispherical sieve 11 at the bottom and is provided with two openings 12 constituting bearings for the shaft 13. This shaft has a crank 14 and handle 15 as usual at one end. At the other end this shaft is split centrally at 16 for a distance from its end. This split can be made by cutting the shaft after it is made or by welding on a piece as desired. In the present case each half of the shaft on the two sides of the split is made semicylindrical in form. These two halves also are enlarged or forced outwardly at 17 so as to provide an enlarged passage 18 between them. It is also to be noted that one half of the shaft, preferably theone on the same sideof the shaft as the handle 15 projects beyond the extreme end of the other half at 19. The two halves of the shaft beyond the enlarged portion 17 are brought together as near as possible so as to constitute a substantially cylindrical surface at that point adapted to bear in one of the openings 12 to support the shaft.

The agitator itself is not permanently fixed to the shaft but is made up of two pieces 20 of sheet metal, each of a circular form. As these are exactly alike except for the perforations through them we shall describe only one of them in detail. Preferably it is made of thin sheet metal as for ex ample tin and is shaped by means of rollers or the like so as to convex it on the outside as indicatedin Fig. 4 especially. Exactly at the center it is provided with a flat place 21 and also at each end it is provided with a flat place 22 and 23. On the inner side of the fiat place 21, that is the concave side, and the inner side of the outer flat place 22 are provided inwardly extending projections 24. These projections are simply made prickpunching or thelike so as to cause V the whole surface between these parts is intendedto be welded or soldered as desired. It is to be understood also that the flat surface 21 is bent to form ridges at'25 parallel with each other to help locate and place the other arm of the agitator. The extreme inside end of each arm is also provided with a perforation 26 which is formed by punching outwardly producing a tongue that is adapted to come against the other end of the same element to position the'latter and against the edge of the other element to position it.

In assembling these parts one of these members 20' having the construction above mentioned is bent up into circular shape and one end 23 is brought over the surface of the other end 22 until it comes into contact with the projection 26 and these two ends are then welded together forming a complete circle. Now the other element 20 is located with its flat surface 21 over the oint thus made and with its edge in contact with the tongue 26 which has just been referred to, its ends being bent up of course so as to constitute a complete circle. These two free ends are then brought together underneath the surface 21 of the first mentioned part, and its ends are brought together in the samewav as above described, using the other projection 26 for the two purposes above mentioned. The welding is then perfected at both ends so as to make the four welded joints necessary. 7

It is after this is done that the cross shaped agitator at one end is provided with a circular perforation 28 and at the other end with two semi-circular perforations 29, leaving between them a diametrical bar 30.

In assembling the device the agitator is placed in the container in substantially its natural position and the shaft is inserted into the openings 12 and 28 and moved clear across the body until the long extension 19 enters one of the openings 29. Then a downward pressure is given on the handle 25 which opens the splitand enables the shorter end to enter the other opening 29. Then the handle is forced in until the enlarge ment 17 comes into registration with the bar 30. the latter being received in the large opening 18 as shown in Fig. 6.. Care should be taken in this latter movement because of the shaft entering the other opening 12in the container. The parts are now assem- ,opening 18 the rotation of the shaft positively rotates the agitator sothat the two parts can be considered as positively con nected in that direction, but nevertheless the shaft can be removed by simply pulling it out, overcoming the yielding resistance of the split ends of the shaft against being separated. They are set inwardly so that they normally come together in contact with each other and their natural resiliency tends to hold them in that position. In this way a very simple device is secured which does not need permanent attachment or soldering, and can be removed and the parts replaced when broken without necessitating the taking of the device to a repair shop. Onaccount of the extreme simplicity ofthe device it can be manipulated by anyone unskilled in the art and taken, apart to be cleaned and put together again very easily. Although we have illustrated and described only'one form of the invention and shown only one application of it, we are aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore we do not wish to be limited in this respect, but what we do claim is':

1. In a sifter, the combination with a shaft having an operating handle, of an agitator mounted on said shaft, said agitator havin at one end a circular opening for the sha t and at the other end yielding means for frictionally preventing longitudinal motion of the agitator in both directions and thus normally holding the agitator on the shaft but capable of yielding to permit removal.

",2. In a sifter, the combination with a container and a shaft having an operating handle, of an agitator mounted on "said shaft, saidagitator having at one end a transverse bar, and the shaft havinga split end for receiving the bar, said split end having an enlargement, and the agitator having two openings on opposite sides of the bar for receiving the two halves of the split end at the enlargement, the split end being contracted beyond the enlargement to yieldingly hold the parts together.

3. An agitator for a sifter comprising a plurality of elements each having integral outwardly extending transverse projections near their ends to contact with the edge-of the other element to facilitate locating them when welding them together. r 4. In a sifter, the combination with a con tainer having a' bottom sifting screen semicircular in cross section. and ashaft hav ing an operating handle, of an agitator mounted on said shaft, said agitator having at one end a circular opening for the shaft and at the other end positive means for transmitting the rotary motion of the shaft to the agitator, and yielding means for frictionally preventing longitudinal motion of the agitator and thus holding the agitator on the shaft.

5. In a sifter, the combination with a container having a bottom sifting screen semi-circular in cross section, and a shaft having an operating handle, of an agitator mounted on said shaft, said agitator having at one end a circular opening for the shaft and at the other end a transverse bar in axial alinement with said opening, and the shaft having a split end for receiving the bar, said split and bar constituting positive means for transmitting the rotary motion of the shaft to the agitator, and non-positive yielding means for holding the agitator on the shaft.

6. In a sifter, the combination with a container having a bottom sifting screen semicircular in cross section, and a shaft having an operating handle, of an agitator mounted on said shaft, said agitator having at one end a circular opening for the shaft and at the other end a transverse bar in axial alinement with said opening, and the shaft having a split end for receiving the bar, said split end having an enlargement, and the agitator having two semi-circular openings on opposite sides of the bar for receiving the two halves of the split end at the enlargement, the split end being contracted beyond the enlargement to yieldingly hold the parts together.

7. In a sifter, the combination with a container having a bottom sifting screen semicircular in cross section, and a shaft having an operating handle, of an agitator mounted on said shaft, said agitator having at one end a circular opening for the shaft and at the other end a transverse bar in axial alinement with said opening, and the shaft having a split end for receiving the bar,

said split end being longer on one side than on the other to facilitate its application t the agitator.

8. In a sifter, the combination with a shaft having an operating handle, of an agitator mounted on said shaft, said agitator having at one end a transverse bar, and the shaft having a split end for receiving the bar, said split end being longer on one side than on the other to facilitate its application to the agitator.

9. In a sifter, the combination withashaft having an operating handle, of an agitator mounted on said shaft, said agitator having at one end a transverse bar, and the shafthaving a split end for receiving the bar contracted to yieldingly hold the parts together.

10. An agitator for a sifter comprising a plurality of sheet metal elements crossing each other, each having areas in the center and at each end at which they are fixedly secured together, one end of each having a transverse projection extending outwardly therefrom at a distance from the end substantially equal to the width of the other element to gage it in uniting the two elements.

11. An agitator for a sifter comprising two circular elements crossing each other at the ends of the agitator, each of said ele ments having a flat place in the center and one on each end at which their ends are socured together and they are secured to each other to produce a rigid structure, one end flat place on each element having an outwardly extending transverse projection to contact with the edge of a fiat place on the other element to facilitate welding them to gether.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures.

OSCAR S. RYERSON. WILLIAM T. RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

Washington, D. 0. 

